“Okay. He will ask again. He always does.”
A pained look sliced across Milo’s eyes, but he was quick to blink it away.
“I also added Dom’s contact to your phone. Just in case you can’t get in touch with me.”
“I’m always around the casino so if shit is going down, I’ll probably be closer,” Dom explained.
We mostly ate and talked about different people working at the casino, since they wanted my input on anyone that I knew.
I wasn’t much help in that department, since my job kept me pretty isolated. I mostly only interacted with the bartender, bussers, Archie, and Frank’s closest henchmen.
Eventually, everyone started to clean up. Dom made his way out. Then I excused myself to the bathroom to get myself presentable again.
Overstuffing myself made me feel puffy and tired. There was no rekindling what we’d started before.
And that was for the best, I tried to convince myself as I pulled off my dress, put on my sweatshirt, and pulled my hair back into a ponytail.
If I was going to walk home at night, I tried to do it looking as unappealing as possible.
That didn’t mean there wasn’t a certain level of disappointment spreading through me, though, as I made my way back out into the suite.
“I wish I could walk you home.”
“I’m not that far away.”
“Why won’t you let me order you a ride-share?”
“Because it is an eight-minute walk. And a, what, three-minute drive? I’d be home before the car even got here.”
“It’s really frustrating when you make a good point that I don’t like,” he said, getting a jingle of laughter out of me.
“I’ll be fine. I do this walk every night.” Though not usually so late.
“Text me when you get there,” he demanded as he followed me into the elevator.
My heart squeezed at the request, at the genuine concern beneath it.
It had been a really long time since I had someone to care about me like that.
“I will.”
As the doors closed us in, Milo’s hand shot out, grabbing the back of my neck. This time, gently.
And when his head lowered and his lips found mine, they were soft and coaxing.
I wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but I knew I wanted to give it to him.
So I kissed him back until I felt it in my toes.
Then the doors chimed, and we had to pull apart.
I felt like I was floating as I made my way outside.
The feeling continued for roughly thirty seconds.
Until a hand grabbed me.
Hard.
